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No. 6l4,647. Patented Nov. 22, I898. L. P. COHEN.

CANE GONVEYER AND FEEDING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1897.)

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(No Model.)

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No. 6|4,647. Patented Nov. 22, I898. L. P. COHEN. CANE CONVEYER AND FEEDING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1897 3 Sheets-Sheef 2.

(No Model.)

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No. 6|4,647. Patented Nov..22, 1898-. L. P. coma". CANE OONVEY'ER AND FEEDING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Jan. 29, 1897.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

/N|/ENTO/? ATTORNEY HO. WASNINGYOA. u. c

LOUIS PII. COHEN, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

CANE CONVEYER AND FEEDING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 614,647, dated November 22, 1898.

Application filed January 29,1897. Serial No. 621,213. (No model.)

To all 1071 0771, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LOUIS PH. COHEN, a citizen of France, residing at New York, in the county and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cane Oonveyer and Feeding Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the grinding process in cane-mills.

The object is to increase the yield of juice extracted, thus augmenting the production of sugar and improving the bagasse as fuel.

To increase the yield of the grinding process, mills of very high pressures have been used, hydraulic pressure has been applied, the cane has been subjected to repeated pressures, still leaving about twenty per cent. of juice in the bagasse.

It is a well-known fact that the interior part of the sugar-cane is of a spongy texture, requiring very little pressure, while the bark or shell offers a very great resistance, especially at the rings or knots of the cane; Consequently the amount of pressure between the rolls of the mills as exerted on the cane is continually changing, while the opening between the rolls remains the same. It is therefore easy to understand that if the thickness of the layer of cane fed to the mill varies the resulting pressure on the same must vary also, leaving always more or less juice in the bagasse. If the layer of cane could be fed to the mills in an even layer, so as to offer the same resistance over the entire surface, the yield must naturally be a better one.

Under the present methods employed for loading the conveyer and using a hopper allowing the free dropping of cane it is impossible to prepare and preserve a layer of cane in such a manner as to present a uniform resistance to the mill. As the cane is taken from the cars and thrown on the con veyer it always happens that the layer of cane is higher in some places than in others, or crossing each other, and thereby creating a greater resistance. Furthermore, since the entrance to a three-roller mill, and consequently the entire bottom of the hopper, is at an angle of about forty-five degrees the dropping cane arrives at the bottom of the hopper in such a pell-mell condition as to reing composed of the same quantity of cane,

representing the proper amount. I further have abandoned the old-style hopper, but guide the layer of cane until its entrance into the mill proper. The means employed to obtain this result are as follows: first, subdividing the actual conveyer in several smaller spaces by screens; second, forming bundles of cane on inclined tables; third, loading the conveyer mechanically by introducers; fourth, feeding the mills by the use of both supporting as well as covering conductors, leading the layer of cane between them. These means are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a schematical view of a longitudinal. section of the conveyer, showing screen, inclined tables, introducers, and feeding apparatus in correct order. Fig. 2 is a plan of the completed horizontal part of theconveyer. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, on a larger scale, showing screen. Figs. 4: and 4 are a side elevation of same and a longitudinal section,showing screen. Fig. 5 is a plan-showing cross-beam and connections. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the introducer. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-section of same. Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the inclined table. Fig. i) is a cross-section of same. Fig. 10 shows the front elevation of a single stand or post. Fig. 11 is a longitudinal section of the feeding apparatus. Fig. 12 is a section of same made in line a a.

Similar letters and numerals marl: similar parts in the several figures.

The entire conveyer is fitted with a screen composed of wooden or iron cross-beams A at equal distances and fastened to the sides of the conveyer by means of the supports 13,

dividing its length into the sections I II III, &c., of equal area, and of the parallel partition-boards C, which may be of wood or iron and which extend through the full length of the conveyer, forming a certain number of narrower conveyers 1 2 3, the. Their distance from each other and height give a larger capacity, as ordinarily required by the bundles of cane, in order to allow space for irregular and crooked pieces of cane in the bundles. Their lower edges do not touch the eonveyer to prevent friction, but are sufiiciently low to prevent the passing of cane from one to another of the subdivisions. These partition-boards are held in place and suspended from the cross beams A by means of the hangers D, and the subdivisions made by them are continued to the mouthpiece of the mill d. The entire top of the conveyer is covered with boards to form a solid iioor, with exception of the openings for the introducers, bringing the cane to the conveyor and providing a dilferent subdivision for each introducer.

Cars and wagons which bring the cane t0 the conveyer containing the cane already cut in equal length and in parallel rows may approach the conveyer from both sides. Each section has an inclined table on either side to receive and subdivide the cane in equal bundles. In each section an operator takes the cane from the car and without disturbing its position drops it on one of these tables. These inclined tables consist of a horizontal beam E, bolted to two strong posts F, which are fastened to the sides of the conveyer. An inclined table G is fitted to the beam E and provided with the footboard H. To the top of E the iron posts J are bolted and the cane (indicated by the dotted lines 00) can only be dropped in the spaces K between these posts. The quantity of cane filling each space forms a bundle of the required weight and size for the subdivision of the conveyer, so as to produce in the total of all subdivisions the equallydistributed quantity of cane for the most effective running of the mill. The position and shape of the posts J are such as to leave a space of about two inches between the bundles of cane and the table and of about four inches between each bundle, so as to allow a second operator to pass his hands between them to remove one bundle at a time to the introducer. These introducers are set up over the opening in the floor covering the screen, one to each section and subdivision.

The principle part of the introducer, Figs. 6 and 7, is an inclined channel K, made of wood or iron and of an interior width slightly less than the width of the separate subdivisions, one end being at a suitable height convenient to receive the cane from the tables. The other end reaches close to the conveyer to let down the cane with out disturbance into the same. The entire bottom of the channel K is covered by an endless belt running downward a little faster than the conveyor in the proportion of the length of the hypotenuse to the base of the rectangular triangle formed by the introducer and the surface of the main conveyer to obtain an equal linear progress on the introducer and the conveyer in the direction of said conveyor. The belt passes over two p ulleys,the upper and larger one, L, of which may either be driven by separate shafting or by frictional trans mission from the conveyor proper, as shown in Figs. 6 and 7. In this case the channel K is movable and together with the two horizontal beams M and a vertical gearing-frame N form a triangular body, which is supported at one end by a pair of bearings Z, receiving the axle Y of the body, while the other end touches the conveyer at the face of the friction-wheel O of the gearing-frame N. The pressure of the wheel 0, supporting nearly the entire weight of the body against the running conveyor, causes its rotation. This movement of O is transmitted by the spur gear-wheels P P P P" to the axle Q, with its pulley L, thus driving the belt in the channel K and the bundles of cane placed on same down toward the conveyer at the required speed.

In order to prevent any choking in the conveyer by crooked pieces of cane, though the subdivisions allow the passage of three to four times the normal quantity, every introducer is provided with the guard R to retain all pieces of cane reaching higher than four inches from the top of the partitions. These pieces are held back by the guard R, from where they are removed by hand and cut in two pieces by the small drop-knife S, which is attached to every introducer for this pur pose. From the conveyer the cane passes to the feeding apparatus. This consists of the two length-beams aand i), joined together by cross-beam c and by the mouthpiece (l, for1ning a frame which contains all moving parts and which is bolted at the upper end to the conveyer-columns and at the lower end to the mill-stands. In the bearings c and f turn the shafts g, fitted with the sproeket-wheels 7L 7L2, driving the lower link-belt conductor, and It turns the shafts l, which are fitted with the sprocket-wheels 71:, driving the link belts of the separate upper conductors at once.

The upper chain of the lower conductor is guided between the long beams and upon their projecting ribs m in a straight way, but the lower chains of the upper conductors are hanging loosely in order to lay themselves on top of the cane bundles to keep the same together while moving downward to the mill. The cross-beam c is fitted with iron stands at, which connect the partitions on the conveyer with those 011 the feeding apparatus, which are made of sheet-iron and which are connected with their end to the mouth (Z. The bundles of cane passing from the end of the conveyer to the downwardly-inclincd conductor of the feeding apparatus are prevented from suddenly sliding toward the same by the yielding hollow U-shaped arms of the friction-drum 0, which press the cane against the conveyer, and thus prevent all disarrangement of the cane bundles. The top of the conveyer has been somewhat changed in order to more fully attain this object, so as to but gradually change the direction of the cane from a rising to a lowering direction.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cane conveyer and feeding apparatus, a fixed inclined table, subdivided into separate divisions by upright iron posts or stands, extending transverse of or across the table, for separating and holding apart the cane in bundles of equal size, and an inclined conveyer for the purpose as set forth and de scribed.

3. In a cane conveyor and feeding apparatus, a friction drum or wheel, placed at the end of the conveyer and at the entrance of the inclined feeder, having a series of radially-placed, flexible and hollow, U-shaped arms to prevent the sliding of the cane bundles, for the purpose as set forth and described.

4. In a cane conveyer and feeding apparatus, the combination of inclined tables provided with divisions in order to spread the cane and divide it into bundles of equal size, introducing apparatus to place the cane evenly on the conveyor, a covered screen dividing the conveyer in a number of subdivisions,'a friction-drum with yielding ribs or arms, and an upper and lower conveyerin the feeding apparatus proper, all substantially as shown and described and for the purpose as set forth.

LOUIS PH. COHEN.

Witnesses:

MARY D. AUSTIN, LILY SHERMAN. 

